CHAPTERSIXTHEPEOPLETHATLIVEDINHIDING
hehappiesttimesthathadeverknown。OnafinesummermwhenthedewlayonthegrasshesetoffwiththeBadgerathroughtheforesttoahighsaddleiainsanddownontotheirsunnysouthernslopeswhereonelreenwoldsofArd。
“WewillgofirsttyBears，”saidTrumpkin。
Theyagladetoanoldhollowoaktreecoveredwithmoss，aappedwithhispawthreetimesorunkandtherewasheappedagainandawoollysortofvoiinsidesaid，“Goaway。It'supyet。”Butedthethirdtimetherewasanoiselikeasmallearthquakefrominsideandasortofdooropecamethreebrownbears，verybulgyindeedandblileeyes。Ahinghadbeehem（whichtookaloheyweresosleepy）theysaid，justasTrufflehunterhadsaid，thatasonofAdamoughttobeKingofNarniaandallkissed—verywet，snufflykissestheywere—andofferedhimsomehoney。didhohoutbread，atthattimeinthem，buthethoughtitpolitetoaccept。Ittookhimaloerwardtogetunsticky。
&heywentontilltheygtallbeechtreesaercalledout，“Pattertwig!Pattertwig!Pattertwig!”andalmostatondingdownfrombranchtillhewasjustabovetheirheads，camethemostmagredsquirrelthathadeverseen。Hewasfarbiggerthantheordinarydumbsquirrelswhichhehadsometimesseelegardens;indeedhewashesizeofaterrierayoulookedinhisfaceyousawthathecouldtalk。Ihedifficultywastogethimtostoptalking，for，likeallsquirrels，hewasachatterer。Heweledatondaskedifhewouldlikeanutandsaidthanks，hewould。ButasPattertwigwentboundingawaytofetchit，Trufflehunterwhisperedin'sear，“Don'tlook。Looktheotherway。It'sverybadmannersamoegoingtohisstoreortolookasifyouwaokwas。”ThewigcamebackwiththenutandateitaPattertwigaskedifhecouldtakeaherfriends。“FonearlyeverywherewithoutsettingfoottogrourufflehuheDwarfsthoughtthisaverygoodideaawigmessagestoallsortsofpeoplewithqueerhemalltoetoafeastandDanatmidsahead。“Andyou'dbettertellthethreeBulgiestoo，”addedTrumpkiomentionittothem。”
&visitwastotheSevenBrothersWood。Trumpkihewaybacktothesaddleandthewardoherhemountainstilltheycametoaverysolemnplagrodfirtrees。Theywelyalycouldfeelthegroundshakeunderhisfeetasifsomeonewerehammerirumpkioaflatstohesizeofthetopofawater-butt，awithhisfpauseitwasmovedawaybysomeohih，andtherewasadark，rouhagooddealofheatandsteamingoutofitandinthemiddleoftheholetheheadofaDwarfverylikeTrumpkiherewasalohedwarfseemedmoresuspitheSquirrelyBearshadbeen，butihewholepartywereioedoianfoundhimselfdesgadarkstairwayiwhehebottomhesawfirelight。Itwasthelightofafurhewholeplacewasasmithy。Asubterrareamranpastoereatthebellows，anotherwasholdingapieceofred-hotmetalontheanvilairoftongs，afourthwashammeringit，andtwo，wipingtheirhornylittlehandsoh，wereingforwardtomeetthevisitors。IttooksometimetosatisfythemthatwasafriendandwheheyallglivetheKing，”aswerenoble—mailshirtsasandswordsfordTrumpkinandNikabrik。TheBadgercouldhavehadthesameifhehadliked，buthesaidhewasabeast，hewas，andifhisdteethotkeephisskiwasn'tworthkeeping。Theofthearmswasfarfihananyhadeverseen，andhegladlyacceptedtheDwarf-madeswordinsteadofhisown，whichlooked，inparison，asfeebleasatoyandasclumsyasastick。Thesevenbrothers（whowereallRedDromisedtoetothefeastatDan。
Alittlefartheron，inadry，roetheyreachedthecaveoffiveBlackDwarfs。Theylookedsuspiciouslyat，butiheeldestofthemsaid，“IfheisagainstMiraz，we'llhavehimf。”Asaid，“Shallforyou，upts?There'sawoandaHagthatwetroduceyouto，upthere。”
&ainlynot，”said。
“Ishouldthinknot，indeed，”saidTrufflehusortonourside。”Nikabrikdisagreedwiththis，butTrumpkinandtheBadgeroverruledhim。Itgaveashocktorealizethatthehorriblecreaturesoutoftheoldstories，aswellasthenies，hadsomedestsinNarniastill。
“WeshouldnothaveAslanforfrieinthatrabble，”saidTrufflehuheycameawayfromthecaveoftheBlackD>
“Oh，Aslan!”saidTrumpkiptuously。“Whatmattersmuchmoreisthatyouwouldn'thaveme。”
“DoyoubelieveinAslan?”saidtoNikabrik。
“I'llbelieveihing，”saidNikabrik，“that'llbatterthesecursedTelmarinebarbarianstopiecesordrivethemoutofNarnia。Ahing，AslaeWitch，doyouuand?”
“Silence，”saidTrufflehunter。“Youdonotknowwhaty。ShewasaworseehanMirazandallhisrace。”
“NottoDwarfs，shewasn't，”saidNikabrik。
&visitleasaheycamelowerdowailenewithaswiftriverrunniom。Theopeheriver'sedgewereamassoffoxglovesandwildrosesandtheairwasbuzzingwithbees。HereTrufflehuntercalledagailenstorm!”andafterapauseheardthesoundofhoofs。Itgrewloudertillthevalleytrembledandatlast，breakingandtramplis，theresighttheuresthathadyetseeaurGlenstormandhisthreesons。Hisflankswereglossyutacoveredhisbroadchestwasgolden-red。Hehetandastar-gazeraheyhadeabout。
“LoheKing，”hecried。“Iandmysonsarereadyforwar。Wheobejoined?”
Uptillherortheothershadreallybeenthinkingofawar。Theyhadsomevagueidea，perhaps，ofanoalraidonsomeHumanfarmsteadorofattagapartyofhuveoofarihernwilds。But，iheyhadthoughtonlyoflivingtothemselvesinwoodsanddbuildingupaOldNarniainhiding。Assooormhadspokemuchmoreserious。
“DoyoumeaodriveMirazoutofNarnia?”asked。
“Whatelse?”saidthetaur。“WhyelsedoesyourMajestygomailandgirtwithsword?”
“Isitpossible，Glenstorm?”saidtheBadger。
&imeisripe，”saidGlenstorm。“Iwatchtheskies，Badger，foritismich，asitisyourstoremember。TarvaandAlambilhavemetinthehallsofhighheaven，ahasonofAdamhasooruleahecreatures。Thehourhasstruck。OurcilattheDanmustbeacilofokeinsuchavoieitherortheothershesitatedforamoment:ithemquitepossiblethattheymightwinawaraaiwageone。
Asitastthemiddleoftheday，theyrestedwiththetaursandatesuchfoodasthetaursprovided—eal，andapples，andherbs，andwine，andcheese。
&placetheyweretovisitwasquitehand，buttheyhadtogoalongwayrouoavioninwhilived。Itwaswellierheyfoundthemselvesinlevelfields，warmbetweehereTrufflehuhemouthofalittleholeinagreenbankandoutpoppedthelastthingexpected—aTalkingMouse。Hewaserthanaouse，welloverafoothighwheoodonhishindlegs，andwithearsnearlyaslongas（thoughbroaderthan）arabbit's。Hisnameidhewasagayandmartialmouse。Heworeatinylittlerapierathissideandtwirledhislongwhiskersasiftheywereamoustache。“Therearetwelveofus，Sire，”hesaidwithadashingandgracefulbolacealltheresourypeopleuyourMajesty'sdisposal。”triedhard（andsuccessfully）nottolaugh，buthe'thelpthinkingthatReepidallhispeoplecouldveryeasilybeputinawashiandeonone'sback。
Itwouldtaketooloiouresiaday—ClodsleyShoveltheMole，thethreeHardbiters（wherslikeTrufflehunter），CamillotheHare，aheHedgehog。Theyrestedatlastbesideawellattheedgeofawideandlevelcircleofgrass，borderedwithtallelmslongshadowsacrossit，forthesuhedaisiesg，andtherooksflyiobed。HeretheysuppedonfoodtheyhadbroughtwiththemandTrumpkinlithispipe（Nikabrikwasnotasmoker）。
“Now，”saidtheBadger，“ifonlywecouldiritsofthesetreesandthiswell，weshouldhavedoneagoodday'swork。”
“'tian。
“No，”saidTrufflehunter。“oweroverthem。SiheHumaheland，fellisareams，theDryadsandNaiadshavesunkintoadeepsleep。Whokheywillstiragain?Andthatisagreatlosstoourside。TheTelmarinesarehorriblyafraidofthewoods，areesmovedinanger，ourenemieswouldgomadwithfrightandbechasedoutofNarniaasquickastheirlegscouldcarrythem。”
“WhatimaginationsyouAnimalshave!”saidTrumpkin，whodidn'tbelieveinsugs。“ButwhystopatTreesandWaters?Wouldn'titbeevehestohrowioldMiraz?”
TheBadgerohis，aherewassucethathadnearlydroppedofftosleepwheheheardafaintmusithedepthofthewoodsathisbahethoughtitwasournedain;butassooouchedthegrouorheard（itwashardtotellwhitbeating。Heraisedhishead。Thebeatioer，butthemusied，clearerthistime。Itwaslikeflutes。HesawthatTrufflehutingupstaringihemht;hadbeenasleeploha。Nearerahemusiewildadreamy，andthenoiseofmanylightfeet，tillatlast，outfromthewoodintothemoonlight，gshapessuchashadbeenthinkingofallhislife。Theywerenotmuchtallerthandwarfs，butfarslighterandmraceful。Theircurlyheadshadlittlehorns，theupperpartleamedhepalelight，buttheirlegsahoseofgoats。
“Fauns!”cried，jumpingup，andiheywereallroundhim。Ittookooexplainthewholesituatioheyacceptedatonce。Beforehekhewasdoinghefoundhimselfjoinirumpkin，withheavierandjerkiermovements，didlikewisearufflehunterhoppedaasbesthelyNikabrikstayedwherehewas，lookingoheFauallroundtotheirreedypipes。Theirstrangefaces，whichseemedmournfulandmerryallatoohis;dozensofFauiusainusandDumnus，Voluns，Voltinus，Girbius，Nimienus，Nausus，andOss。Pattertwighadsentthemall。
iamhecouldhardlybelievethatithadnotallbeehegrasswascoveredwithlittlearks。